-----Chapter One-----
IAS EXCALIBUR
"How many?" said Gideon as the bridge was filled with crewmen and marines.
"Twelve, repeat twelve ships on attack vector. Three are coming ahead of the main group." replied Matheson.
Gideon looked out at the approaching ships.
"They want to gauge our strength. All pulse cannons target the centre ship. Fire."
The mighty starship opened up with its wing mounted pulse cannons. The blue pulses tracked for a second and hit the ship in the middle of the formation, an aging ambassador class vessel. After ten seconds of heavy fire it exploded.
The rest of the Federation ships flew forward at full speed, firing their phasers. The yellow beams impacted on the Excalibur's crystalline/polymer armour, leaving a small scorch mark. Turret mounted triple fusion cannons fired, nailing a saber class ship.
IFS TERROR -- FORMERLY 'ENTERPRISE'
Admiral Janeway smashed her hand against the command chair panel.
"I want two nebulas to take point. They are to fire photon torpedoes at that... thing. All other ships are to prepare for a coordinated phaser strike on the forward weapons pod.
Two nebula class ships soared forward, firing torpedoes. The multi-kiloton weapons impacted on the cylindrical 'neck of the victory, allowing most of their energy to escape into space.
IAS EXCALIBUR
The bridge shook as strange glowing objects smashed into the Excalibur, scooping five metre craters into the thick armour.
"What the hell were those things?" shouted Gideon.
"I think it's meant to be a torpedo of some kind." replied Matheson.
"Glowing torpedoes? What a -" he was cut off by another three torpedoes hitting the hull. The nebulas sailed round for another pass as the other eight ships flew in. One was disabled by the turret cannons and pulse guns - holes were blown in its strange oval shaped primary hull.
The remaining Federation ships all fired their phasers on the forward weapons pod, burning through a metre of the armour but not starting a chain reaction.
Forty-seven thunderbolt starfuries roared out of the Excalibur's hangar and the battle became a furious melee, pulse cannon blasts and phaser beams filling the space around the ship.
The Excalibur was holding her own; the Federation fleet had lost five ships and the scattered phaser fire caused by the sudden fighter attack was merely scorching the thick armour of the Interstellar Alliance's flagship.
Onboard the Terror Janeway was getting angry. She watched as an Akira class ship was pierced by the powerful cannons on the Excalibur's nose.
"Stay away from the main guns!" she shouted, angrily. Her ship shuddered from another burst of pulse cannon fire, but the shields held.
Janeway noticed what could be a control centre. It stuck out like a sore thumb.
"Phasers-" she started saying but a fusion beam hit cut her off. The ventral quantum torpedo launcher was burned off in a second by the multi-kiloton beams.
"Get those shields back!" she cried.
Out in space the battle was almost over. The Thunderbolt attack had left the Federation fleet off guard as none of their many, many enemies had ever used them. The Excalibur was scorched and had lost two pulse cannon emplacements but it kept going.
"Useless scum." Janeway whispred. She pointed at the Excalibur. "Ramming speed!" she barked to the helmsman.
The 680 metre ship accelerated to an astonishing 300 metres a second. The Excalibur turned to face it.
IAS EXCALIBUR
Gideon turned to the weapons control officer.
"Ready main guns... fire."
The invincible Quantum Gravitic Discharge Cannon fired, swallowing the sovereign class ship. After a ten seconds it cut out, reavealing nothing, not even wreckage.
"Report." sighed Gideon.
"Thirty-four Starfuries down... hull breaches on decks 23, 24, 25... two pulse cannon batteries destroyed. It's lucky the commander of that fleet didn't seem to have any grasp of tactics."
"Hmm... call Earth. We'll need a fleet here, pronto. And tell the fighters to come home."
The bridge crew cheered. Gideon however was silent. He knew more would come.
Much more.
